South Bay Musical Theatre announces auditions for

MARY POPPINS

Music & Lyrics by Richard M. & Robert B. Sherman
Book by Julian Fellowes
Directed by Scott Ludwig
Music & Vocal Direction by David Herberg
Choreography by Noelle Wilder

Location: Auditions will be held at 761 Mabury Rd, Suite 20, in San Jose.

Sign up: Link to sign up: https://sbmt.ivolunteer.com/sbmt_alnm_002

Dates: Auditions are on Sunday, January 7, from noon to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 13, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. Please schedule a vocal audition slot. Then, plan on attending the dance call at the end of the hour of your appointment. Callbacks by invitation only: Sunday, January 14, during the day & Wednesday, January 17, in the evening

AUDITION INFORMATION

Please prepare 32-48 bars of a song that shows your range and expression. Your song should be in the style of the show and with sheet music in the correct key. No recordings, please. An accompanist will be provided. Bring a headshot, resume, and conflict calendar through June 8.

Please be prepared to attend a fifteen-minute dance call after your scheduled audition. There is tap in Mary Poppins, so there will be some tap in the dance call.

The rehearsal calendar is compact and fast-paced. Therefore, conflict calendars will be an essential consideration when making casting decisions. Please give us complete conflict information. If you are already obligated to another show that will cause conflicts with our rehearsal schedule, or if you are auditioning for multiple plays that perform in the same time frame as ours, please let us know. Only minor conflict schedules will be accepted. 

SBMT Casting Commitment

South Bay Musical Theatre is actively re-shaping our company to be reflective of the community it serves. We practice non-traditional and identity-conscious casting in all our productions. We are seeking and highly encouraging all actors to submit, regardless of race/ethnicity/caste, disability, body type, age, orientation, or gender/gender identity.  All cast members are volunteers with a performance per diem equal to a total of $250.

SUMMARY

One of the most popular Disney movies of all time is capturing hearts in a whole new way: as a practically perfect musical! Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The jack-of-all-trades, Bert, introduces us to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family members how to value each other again. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren’t the only ones she has a profound effect on. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that “Anything can happen if you let it.”

ROLES

Cast Size: Medium (11 to 20 performers)
Dance Requirements: Standard and tap.

Character Breakdown

Bert

The narrator of the story is a good friend of Mary Poppins. An everyman, Bert has many occupations, including hurdy-gurdy player, sidewalk artist, and chimney sweep. Bert watches over the children as well as the goings on in Cherry Tree Lane. He has charm, speaks with a Cockney accent, and is a song-and-dance man.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 30 to 50
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: B2

George Banks

The father to Jane and Michael Banks is a banker to the very fiber of his being. Demanding “precision and order” in his household, he is a pipe-and-slippers man who doesn’t have much to do with his children and believes that he had the perfect upbringing by his nanny, the cruel Miss Andrew. His emotional armor, however, conceals a sensitive soul. A baritone, George may speak-sing as necessary.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 35 to 50
Vocal range top: Eb4
Vocal range bottom: Bb2

Winifred Banks

George’s wife and Jane and Michael’s mother. A former actress, she is a loving and distracted homemaker who is busy trying to live up to her husband’s desire to only associate with “the best people” and be a model wife and mother. She suffers from the conflicting feelings that she’s not up to the job of “being Mrs. Banks,” yet she is, and more. She has great warmth and simplicity in her tone.

Gender: female presenting
Age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: A3

Jane

The high-spirited daughter of Mr. and Mr. Banks is bright and precocious but can be willful and inclined to snobbishness.

Gender: female
Age: 11 to 12
Vocal range top: F#5
Vocal range bottom: A3

Michael

The cute and cheeky son of Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Excitable and naughty, he adores his father and tries to be like him. Both he and Jane misbehave in order to get their parents’ attention.

Gender: male
Age: 9 to 10
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: A3

Katie Nanna

Jane and Michael’s nanny at the beginning of the show. Overwhelmed and upset, she has absolutely had her fill of the Banks children.

Gender: female presenting
Age: 30 and up

Policeman

A neighborhood fixture who is respected by and observant of households on his beat.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 30 to 60

Miss Lark

The haughty next-door neighbor of the Banks family who treats her dog, Willoughby, as if he were her child.

Gender: female presenting
Age: 30 to 50

Admiral Boom

A retired Royal Navy man and neighbor of the Banks family. A physically large man with a loud and booming voice, he speaks in Navy jargon and has a soft spot for his neighbor, Miss Lark. Can be any vocal range as needed. If Admiral Bloom doubles as the Banks Chairman, he can be a baritone.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 50 to 70

Mrs. Brill

The housekeeper and cook for the Banks family. Overworked and harrassed, she’s always complaining that the house is understaffed. Her intimidating exterior is a cover for the warmth underneath. Mrs. Brill doesn’t have a high opinion of nannies in general and Mary Poppins in particular. She does not have to be a strong singer.

Gender: female presenting
Age: 40 to 70
Vocal range top: D#5
Vocal range bottom: F#3

Robertson Ay

The houseboy to the Banks family. Lazy, sleepy, and grumbling, he never gets things right and believes himself to be useless. He doesn’t do a lot of singing, but his “Spoonful” solo can be a fun surprise.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 18 to 25
Vocal range top: G#4
Vocal range bottom: F3

Mary Poppins

Jane and Michael Banks’s new nanny. She is extraordinary and strange, neat and tidy, delightfully vain yet particular, and sometimes a little frightening, but always exciting. She is practically perfect in every way and always means what she says. A mezzo-soprano with strong top notes, she should be able to move well. She can have a more traditional soprano sound, but precision and diction are the keys.

Gender: female presenting
Age: 20 to 40
Vocal range top: C6
Vocal range bottom: Gb3

Park Keeper

Uniformed and officious, he makes sure no one breaks park regulations. Rules define his life, but he secretly hankers after his childhood.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 25 to 50

Neleus

The statue of a young boy posed with a dolphin in the park. Neleus was separated from his father, Poseidon, and misses him very much. A small and lonely being, he is very happy to befriend Jane and Michael. This role is an excellent opportunity to feature for a strong dancer. Will also be a part of the ensemble.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 16 to 22

Queen Victoria

A statue in the park.

Gender: female presenting
Age: 40 to 60

Bank Chairman

The head of the bank where Mr. Banks is employed is an Edwardian stuffed shirt. He can speak/sing his lines if necessary.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 50 to 75
Vocal range top: D4
Vocal range bottom: C3

Miss Smythe

The Bank Chairman’s humorless secretary.

Gender: female presenting
Age: 35 to 60

Ensemble

Annie, Fannie, Valentine, Teddy Bear, Mr. Punch, Doll, Chimney Sweeps, Toys, Parkgoers.

Von Hussler

A businessman seeking a loan from the bank for a shady business deal. He speaks with a German accent.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 30 to 55

John Northbrook

An honest businessman seeking a loan to build a factory for his community. He speaks with an accent from Northern England.

Gender: male presenting
Age: 30 to 50

Bird Woman

Covered in a patchwork of old shawls, with pockets stuffed with bags of crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell her crumbs for the birds. She tries to sell her crumbs to passersby, who ignore her as if she doesn’t exist. Sings “Feed the Birds.” There can be a gruff, folksy quality to her voice that reflects the hardness of her life.

Gender: female presenting

Age: 50 to 75
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: Gb3

Mrs. Corry

Owns a magical gingerbread shop. She is a mysterious woman of great age who speaks with a Caribbean accent.

Gender: female presenting
Age: 40 to 60

Miss Andrew

George’s overbearing and scary nanny. With her bottle of nasty-tasting brimstone and treacle to keep naughty children in line, she is a bully who only knows one way of doing things – her way. A soprano with an alto belt, she can have some heaviness to her voice along with range.

Gender: female presenting

Age: 30 to 50
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: Gb3

Key Dates:

Orientation Sunday, March 10

The basic rehearsal schedule is Sundays 6 – 10, M – Th 7:30 -10:15 (or 7-10–YOUR CALL)

Opening night and Gala – Saturday, May 18

Performances May 19, 24, 25, 26, 31, June 1, 2, 6, 7, 8

Close and strike matinee – Saturday, June 8